Awaited Return
by mostlypsychotic
Summary: Michelle Sandliey, now age 23, is freshly out of college when her old friend Midori gives her an offer that flings her back into the world of music. Once again, this world provides for many twists and turns- especially when she meets her old band again.
1. Chapter 1

When Midori showed up at my door, it took all I had not to reveal how shocked I was. After all, it had been a while.

When I went to college, she was one of the only things that stopped me from breaking under all the pressure. She'd come over to my dorm room, chat up my roommate, take me out to dinner or shop with me, tell me how stardom was turning out for her. Sometimes, just to bully me, she'd point out that I could have achieved the same status if I had stuck with Shell Plate, but she gave up on that one after a while. She became one of my closest friends, and she tried to make time for me.

However, when she went out on a world tour with her band and I got caught up in schoolwork, the communications began to fade out, and we pretty much went our separate ways. She hit the top of the celebrity social ladder, while I worked through my four years and saw her face in the magazines my roommate liked to read. Where Midori took on everything I came close to, I wondered if I had made a mistake. But I soon brushed that off as being naïve. I graduated from college, and that was something I would've put off if I stayed with Shell Plate.

_I made the right choice, _I told myself over and over as time went on. _I made the right choice. I know I did._

But as I left college and moved into a rented apartment with the little furniture I could take from my home, it occurred to me that I _was _really lonely. My roommate had gotten engaged and broken off communication with me, so living with her was out of the question. My family was back at home…hell, I didn't even have a pet. It made my nights so quiet, and it got kind of lonesome after a few months.

But then Midori showed up again. And I mean this in the most literal sense- she really just knocked on my door one night without any warning, shouted my name and glomped me- all within the course of two seconds.

"Midori?!" I squeaked, trying to handle hugging her and keeping from being hit by one of her suitcases all at once. "H-how did you get here?"

"Aw, you can't just be enthusiastic that I decided to visit?" she asked, pouting. Before I could apologize, however, her smile returned. "I asked the guy down at the front desk if he knew the name. It's been a while, huh? How's it been? You're out of college, I see. That's good to hear. How's the place treating you? No bugs? No drafts? No noisy neighbors?"

_God, it's like listening to a chipmunk on caffeine._

"Um…Midori," I said, cutting her off from her interrogation. "Want to come inside?"

A moment later, Midori was slumped across my couch, surrounded by four suitcases, two sets of fake, fluffy hair, and her tiny backpack. She was pulling her actual hair out of its bun and shaking it into place around her shoulders.

"Well," she said, "I might as well tell you why I decided to track you down." I frowned.

"I thought you said it was because you wanted to visit me."

"That too, but there _is _an ulterior motive," she admitted with a sly grin.

_Of course there is. _

"Go on," I said, falling back on an armchair and looking over at her. Midori's eyes strayed to the corner of the room, where my electric guitar sat on its stand.

"There's my motive," she said. "You haven't touched your guitar since you went to college, have you? And no, picking it up to move it in here doesn't count," she said, causing me to close my mouth again. "You completely abandoned that dream since you left Shell Plate. How dishonorable of you."

"Um…ouch," I said, cringing. She came here just to make me feel bad about not playing the guitar? Midori smiled again.

"I'm not here to put you down, though, Michelle. I want to help you get your dream back." She stood, picked up my guitar, and dropped it in my lap with a smile. "My band needs a second guitarist. You know, to make the sound more unique? Two is better than one, as they always say. Play a chord for me." My fingers instinctively touched against the strings, and I strummed a simple chord. God, I missed that feeling. The soft vibrations of the strings against my hands, and the echoing sound it produced. Midori must have noticed my happiness, because she leaned forward, pressing her chin to her hands.

"Michelle. You'll have a job that you like. You won't have to pay for this apartment anymore, since you can move in with me. You won't be bored, you'll have friends, you'll make a name for yourself again. What do you have to lose?"

_What do I have to lose? _I sat in silence, pondering the offer. There was one thing, though…the fact that I had been separated from _them. _My old band. And yet…

"I guess so," I said without thinking. Before my expression could give away my surprise at my own words, Midori squealed and hugged me yet again.

"I knew it! Thank you, Michelle! I'll pick out a nickname for the public to know you by…you'll be famous in no time!"

_Oh, shit. _


	2. Chapter 2

And with that reunion, I was being dragged up to a townhouse the next morning, trying to drink some badly-brewed coffee as I walked. Midori had decided to stay the night, and I barely got a wink of sleep, as she was talking for hours on end. Even when I decided to drop out of the conversation, she went on chattering as if there was somebody else in the room to talk to.

But, back to the present. In the morning, Midori had given me no more than 10 minutes to get ready before she got impatient and dragged me out of my apartment and to her car. Apparently, then it was time for another hyperactive round of talking- explaining where we were going, and who we were going to meet on the way, squealing about how much I was going to like them, and so on. I managed to gather that she was taking me to the townhouse that her band had bought for headquarters, and that the rest of the band was going to be able to meet me when we got there.

Midori seemed to have no trouble bursting through the unlocked door, even without a key or an invitation. From there, we ended up in the doorway of a big living room, where three men were lounging about, half-asleep. On the couch was a tan, shaggy-haired guy, eyes closed but holding a can of some type of alcohol. Nearby, on the floor, was a skinny guy with his entire face covered by hair and a beard. An Asian guy was curled up behind the drumset in the corner, his drumsticks laying nearby. Midori seemed to have no patience for this, however, since she inhaled dramatically and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"_Wake up_!"

Startled, the three jumped to attention, looking at the two of us with confused expressions.

"Good morning!" Midori said now, her sweet disposition returning. "Here's the guitarist I was talking about!" She pointed at me, beaming, and allowed the other three to take me in.

"That didn't take very long," the bearded man remarked. "I thought you said you were looking for her."

"I didn't mean that I needed to hunt one down. I've known her for years, right, Turtle?" Midori asked, elbowing me in the side playfully.

_Turtle? _

"Her name's really 'Turtle'?" the shaggy-haired guy said, voicing my own thoughts. Midori rolled her eyes.

"No, of course not. Her name's Michelle, but her _stage name _is Turtle, and that's what I want you guys to call her, okay?" Now she turned back to me, and pointed at each bandmate as she introduced them. "Okay, so that's our bassist, Leo," she began, pointing at the one with the beard. "Over there is our singer, Eddie," and she pointed at the shaggy-haired man, "and finally, our drummer, Fuyuki!" With that, she launched herself across the room and into the arms of the Asian drummer. Eddie rolled his eyes and walked over to me.

"Yeah, they've been an 'item' for a while," he said, watching the two. "Look, can I just call you Michelle? That won't bother you, right?"

"Not at all," I said gratefully. "Nice to meet you." Eddie nodded in agreement, then gestured at Midori again.

"How'd you meet her? I wouldn't think someone as quiet as you would have anything in common with her," he said jokingly, seemingly warming up to me. I wasn't sure how to reply, though. Midori was one of the only things that linked me back to Shell Plate, and I didn't know what Eddie would say if I told him I met her through the band that I later quit. However, I got a little bit lucky, as Midori interrupted our conversation. Letting go of Fuyuki and jumping up on the couch for no reason whatsoever, she pointed over at me with an authoritative air.

"First thing's first!" she called. "All of you, get ready! We need to go move Turtle out of that dingy apartment of hers!"

_Already_?

_Author's Note: No, not Eddie Knox. Dear God, not Eddie Knox. I hated that character. XD Eddie's also the unofficial name for the lead singer in Guitar Hero 3, so I decided just to name our lead singer here that as well. That's all from me this time. See you next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, it was nice working with you. When are you moving out?"

"Um...today, apparently," I said bashfully. Leah, my apartment's true owner, stared at me from over the counter as I gave up the rights to the place. Behind me, my new band was watching impatiently- excluding Leo, who was suffering from a hangover- and I knew I couldn't humor Leah with a conversation today. "I found a new place with a friend of mine, and she wants to...um, hurry things along, I guess." As if on cue, Midori began to complain loudly about how bored she was getting, and Leah raised an eyebrow.

"Well, okay. Nice knowing you, Miss Sandliey." With that, I turned away and hurried over to Midori, glaring as I walked.

"Do you _have _to make a scene? Is that how rock stars work?" I snapped. Midori smiled innocently in response, before walking past me to the elevator.

"Come on," she said, completely ignoring my question. "I wanna get this done by today, which means we're gonna have to speed-pack, right, guys?" She was greeted with a chorus of unenthusiastic cheers from the rest of the band, and a groan from Leo, but seemed unfazed by it.

Before I could even comprehend it, Midori had raided my apartment, shoved anything and everything into boxes, and put the rest of us to work with sending the boxes to the van. Soon, we were all exhausted, except the ever-energetic Midori, of course. Still, we were making progress, and that was something. However, halfway through the impromptu moving process, I was confronted by Eddie, who was clutching three boxes and struggling to get down the stairs.

"Hey, Michelle?" he asked, looking from around them to see me. I looked over my shoulder, watching as he stumbled towards me.

"What's up?" I asked curiously. As he caught up with me, he almost immediately popped the question.

"You were part of Shell Plate once, weren't you?"

"Huh? Um...yeah, back when I was younger. Why?"

"No reason..." Eddie trailed off, but only for a second. "Mind telling me what happened?"

Now I was silent. Why the hell did he _want _to know, in the first place? It wasn't like it mattered, not at this point, anyway. Before I could say so, though, Eddie spoke up again.

"Hey, it doesn't mean _that _much. If you don't wanna tell me now, it's fine. You can tell me later, right?" I remained silent for a moment, still frowning a little.

"Yeah...we'll see."

"Well, this means we're all home, now," Midori said once my boxes and furniture were dragged to their respective rooms. I would be sleeping in what had used to be a guest room, though for the next few nights I would be wherever I wanted, as my bed was taken apart to be moved.

"That was impressive," I admitted. "I didn't know you could move all the crap I own from one place to another in the course of a day."

"Me neither," Eddie grumbled, rubbing his hands as he headed back to the living room. Leo and Fuyuki followed afterwards, and Midori dragged me along as she hunted them down.

"We aren't finished yet. Don't you guys wanna hear _why _Turtle's gonna be a kickass addition to our band?"

"Do we have to?" Leo asked. The poor bassist looked more like he wanted to sleep off his still-present hangover than listen to a guitar session, but Midori seemed unsympathetic.

"Yes, we _have _to. Michelle, go get your guitar." As I hurried away, ignoring Leo's increasing volume as he continued to whine, I felt my heart flutter.

_Holy shit. I'm gonna play guitar again. _

My guitar lay in an open box, surrounded by other objects from my living room. I pulled it out, admiring how it had held up through the careless moving process before sliding the strap over my neck and pressing it to my chest.

_It's been too long, hasn't it? I've missed you, little guitar._

I returned to the living room to find the others waiting for me, obviously forced into it by Midori, and stepped towards them, lifting up the guitar and beginning to play.

I wasn't really sure what it was that I was playing- the tune sounded familiar, and I definitely had the hang of it, but the name of the song escaped me. Still, I had forgotten how good it felt, just focusing on nothing except music, and I guess it showed.

When I finished my little jam session and silence fell over the room again, I looked up at the other three. Despite Leo clutching his forehead in discomfort, the group seemed impressed enough for me to relax.

"Nice," Eddie said approvingly. Fuyuki and Leo nodded in agreement, and my shoulders slumped with relief.

"Thank you," I practically whispered, propping my guitar against the wall. My fate was sealed, for the time being anyway. However, when I turned back to the band, my mood was immediately changed.

"Yep, I know you're gonna fit in," Midori said with an almost devious smile. "And tomorrow, we'll put you to the test."

Why was it that everything she said gave me a sense of dread?


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a while since I felt the rush that came before a show. Standing in the back of the Stone Nightclub had returned that to me, and I couldn't complain. The audience's chatter as they waited for the performance, the hurry to get everything prepared to make the show as kick-ass as possible, the slightly increasing stress levels- they were all coming back to me now, and they were making my heart race. As I strummed the individual strings of my guitar, ensuring that they were in tune, I found myself suddenly flanked by Midori and Fuyuki.

"Ready for this?" the drummer asked, grinning widely. I had learned over the past few practices that he was a performer at heart, and he _loved _attention, so it came as no surprise that he'd be the most excited about our show. I nodded, smiling back at him before dodging the familiar green puff of fake hair that Midori was tying into her pigtail. "Excellent. They'll love you, don't worry. They already know us here, so they won't have a problem with a new band member." With that convincing advice, Fuyuki stood again, going off to find Leo and Eddie while leaving me with Midori.

"He's right, you know," she said absently, obviously concentrating on the hair-related task at hand. "These guys are like...our friends, I guess you could say. You'll be totally comfortable as long as you don't mess up, so please don't be nervous."

"I wouldn't dream of it," I said with a smirk. "I can't wait." Finishing with her hair, Midori beamed.

"Now _that's _what I was hoping for. Good girl. Now, here's what you need to know. I taught you both guitar parts, but you'll be secondary guitar for tonight. Make sure you stand to the right of Eddie, near Leo, so they can distinguish it. You already know the setlist, right? Tenacious D first? Also-"

"Midori," I interrupted, waving my hand. "I know how to perform, remember? I'm not gonna screw things up, I promise." Midori huffed loudly, blushing a little at being called out.

"Okay, fine...good luck out there, then." She paused, before smiling again. "Not that you'll need it." Before she could go on, the remainder of the band joined us, Eddie leading the group.

"You two ready, too?" he asked. "We're on in two minutes." I grabbed my guitar, slinging it over my neck and moving towards the stage.

The moment we walked under the lights, applause and whoops erupted from below us. I looked down to find that the stage was higher up than I expected, and the entire crowd was looking expectantly up from the main floor below. I took my spot between Eddie and Leo as Midori had instructed, and looked around as the others got themselves situated.

"Hey, everyone!" Eddie shouted into the microphone, a definite change from his usually quiet and serious demeanor for practice. "Thanks for coming again! As usual, we're Kaiju, with newcomer guitarist Michelle! Give it up, everyone!"

Sure enough, the crowd cheered wildly, as if they were greeting me. Still, I blinked, confused. Kaiju must've been their band name, but no one had ever mentioned it during practices, had they? A glance over at Midori proved at, as she looked apologetically back at me. It wasn't worth complaining about, though, as the show promptly began with our two guitars, harmonizing for the intro before Eddie began.

"_You can't kill the metal,_

_The metal will live on._

_Punk rock tried to kill the metal-_

_But they failed, as they were smite to the ground!_"

It was almost like I already knew the audience below me. The cheers were so welcoming, and I was using it to make my guitar playing better somehow. Around me, my bandmates seemed to be feeding off of the same energy, and that's when I figured it out.

It was all coming to me, the way it had so many years ago. The energy of the crowd, the need to impress, the feeling of the guitar in my hands- it felt so right. I couldn't help but wonder how it was possible that I had even abandoned this before. Of course, I remembered the chain of events that had lead me to quitting Shell Plate, but maybe leaving this lifestyle altogether hadn't been right for me.

Either way, I was back, and as long as I stayed with Kaiju, I would be able to return to it for good. And believe me, I wanted to.

The Stone Nightclub would only be the beginning, of course.

_Author's Note: Yeah, I guess I was a little uncreative with both the band name and the venue...(sweatdrop) The Stone Nightclub is featured in Guitar Hero: Metallica, and Kaiju is based off of the 'Kaiju Megadome' in Guitar Hero 3. Plus, Kaiju is roughly translated into 'monster,' so I thought it'd be an interesting take...but that's just me. Heheheh. And of course, lyrics to 'The Metal' aren't mine, and all credit for them goes to Tenacious D. See you next time! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Before I forget, I don't claim ownership to the lyrics used in this chapter. Those belong to Coheed and Cambria. With that out of the way, I haven't worked on this one in forever. When I got back to writing, I wanted to finish my Bioshock fanfiction and post the beginning of four new stories before I did anything with this, so I apologize. But I'm back in business now with chapter 5, which is admittedly mostly inner monologue. Enjoy! _

From there, things began to feel like deja vu to me. It was a slow but sure rise to fame, with short playlists to follow at local bars and clubs. Kaiju was already relatively well-known in the music world, so it didn't take quite as long as it had with Shell Plate, but it followed the same formula as any other band would. Perform at a few more clubs, rock a few more audiences, then hit the mainstream world aiming to please. With Kaiju's old record company curious about their old customers' return and willing to help us out, it was only a matter of time before we hit the music stores, the TVs, the news stands. It was surreal, seeing my picture on the channels I hadn't been on for years, and I couldn't complain.

"After a six-month hiatus, it looks like Kaiju's back in action, ladies and gentlemen!" one announcer raved. "Not only that, but they've added on a second guitarist- and who would be better than Shell Plate's ex-guitarist, Michelle Sandliey? Things should be interesting now!"

It had even hit home. Walking into the gas station to get a can of iced tea and some gum, I noticed it on the magazines near the checkout. _Michelle 'Turtle' Sandliey returns to the music world- but not in the way we thought! _I couldn't help but feel a bit narcissistic for smirking at that picture. Not in the way they thought indeed...

I couldn't help but be a little bit proud of myself, though. Midori had spent so long trying to convince me that I could be something if I stayed in the music industry, and it turned out she was right. I had something to build off of now, something to say I did for a living that I actually enjoyed. If I hadn't taken Midori's offer, where would I be now? It was all thanks to this new band, the people that I was growing to really like over time.

Every now and then I got the opportunity to talk to my family. It was kind of a pain that I didn't get to see them more often- they were all teenagers now, and I was sure a lot was changing. Eric was sixteen, probably getting his license. Ben, now fifteen, had a girlfriend, at least he did the last time I heard from him. Thirteen-year-old Anna was almost headed for high school. My mom had fully recovered from that attack six years ago, and life was as normal as it ever got back in my old neighborhood. When I did get the chance to call them at last, they were honestly surprised that I had decided to go back to the world of rock bands.

"I thought you said you were done with it for good," Ben said, confused. "What changed your mind?" I knew that he had put me on speakerphone, and that the entire family was probably gathered around to hear my answer, so I chose my words carefully.

"A lot can change over a few years," I explained, trying to sound nonchalant. "Plus, Midori wanted me to join her band, so I figured there was no reason not to. I don't regret it, really."

"Well, tell us when you're performing nearby! We'll come and watch!" Anna said brightly. I heard my mother laugh softly, before she got her turn to speak.

"Good luck, Michelle. Try not to forget about us," she teased. "And come visit sometime."

A few weeks later, Kaiju's first nation-wide tour began. It would cover the span of five months, starting in the Midwest- specifically, Chicago.

"Thanks for coming out tonight, you guys," Eddie called to the screaming crowd in front of us. "You sold out our first stop completely, and we appreciate it! Here's a cover to start you all off!" As usual, that was the cue for us to start playing, kicking off with an old Coheed song.

"_A broad incision sits across the evening,_

_The victim to our fathers' lost war,_

_The restless children sit and mourn the graces,_

_Of those they've never seen before._"

Three hours later, I found myself in a hotel, worn out from the high-energy performance. The bed looked more inviting than before, and I was ready to just fall in, but...

"Hey, hey! What's with the pajamas?" Midori said, grabbing them out of my hand and throwing them in the general direction of my suitcase. Blinking, I stood with my hand still out for a moment before responding.

"Uh...like I said, I wanted to go to bed early tonight...we've got stuff to do tomorrow, don't we?"

"Not yet, you're not!" Midori argued, searching through my bag for the dress I had packed. "You expect us to hold a concert somewhere like Chicago and not have an after-party? Be real!" Finally finding the dress in question, she tossed it at me, winking. "Get dressed, will ya? It starts in half an hour!" Now I couldn't help but grin back as I headed for the privacy of the bathroom.

"I should've known," I teased.


	6. Chapter 6

"Babe, come dance with me! C'mon, give me a good time!" Behind me, a girl was moving her hips to the beat of the song, slowly moving her hands to my sides as she did. I blushed, stepping away just a little as Midori hurried over.

"I'll dance with you, baby, don't worry! Turtle's just a little shy," she said, grabbing the stranger's hands to her delight. As the two vanished into the crowd, I sighed a little, relieved. Even after all these years, I wasn't much of a party type. If I was going to be part of my over-enthusiastic band, I'd probably need to change that, hm? Maybe I needed a drink or something. Then again, the last time I got drunk at a band party...

I quickly shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. I was here to dance with people who liked my music. I was here to have a good time. I was _not _here to pout over something trivial from my past. I _did _need a drink, I decided. I'd stop being such a hard-ass if I had something to drink, I knew that much.

"How much is everything?" I asked the bartender, gesturing at the rows of bottles behind him. He snickered, grabbing what looked like simple beer from under the counter.

"How much is 'everything'? Sounds like you're down for a good time," he teased, handing me the bottle. "Free for the band, anyway. Enjoy!" I flashed him a thumbs up, popping the bottle open and taking a quick swig. My stomach immediately lurched, but I shook it off and braved the crowd for a second round. It was go time. Michelle Sandliey was about to become a dancing machine.

At least, that's what I told myself as I let the dancers bump me around a bit. I guess when you're seventeen, a few cups of beer seems like a lot. Being twenty-three, just half a bottle did fuck-all for me, and my anticipation just meant that I looked like more of an idiot than I did before. Ridiculous.

"Enjoying yourself?" Eddie asked, grabbing me just as I tripped over my own shoe and propping me back up. I gave him an apprehensive look, and he smirked. He knew full well what the answer to his question was.

"I kinda want some air," I admitted, gesturing behind him at the door to the hotel. He nodded, pushing me gently towards it.

"Go ahead, but don't get lost. I've already lost track of the other three, don't wanna take responsibly for you, too," he warned. I grinned and nodded, stumbling nervously towards the door and sliding my hotel key in for access. With a sigh, I wandered around the hallway for a while, trying to find a balcony or patio or something that I could go sit around in. I settled for taking a seat by a window, looking down at the rest of the city. There was something so grounding about being alone after a huge party like that, something that brought me back to where I needed to be. Cheesy as it was, I did need that kind of thing, to keep myself from getting too egotistical. It had been one of my biggest faults back in Shell Plate, and I would never let it happen again. I hoped so, anyway. I kicked my legs up onto the windowsill, hugging them to my chest as I just thought. I was being wimpy again, wasn't I? What I needed was to grow a backbone if I wanted to stay with Kaiju. What I needed was to stop escaping from parties, to stop having a weak stomach, to stop being so indecisive. I wasn't really sure why I was suddenly being so hard on myself, but now that it was there, I was almost hurting my own feelings. What the hell was I even doing?

"Shut up," I told myself firmly, pressing a finger to each of my temples. "Go back to the party." My body didn't seem as willing to comply, but after a few minutes of internal arguing, I swung my legs back to the floor and forced myself back down the empty hallway. Now was the time, I thought to myself as I strode closer and closer. Sure, I was getting a bit anxious, but that would be part of the fun! Things would be just fine once I actually-

I promptly slammed into a taller figure in the midst of my internal pep talk, and fell back onto the carpet with a startled scream. My victim jumped back a little, pretty surprised by the entire display, then crouched by my side.

"Hey, kid, you alright?"

_Wait a second._

"...Whoa...no way."

_That voice._

"...Michelle?"

I sat up abruptly, looking at the person I had collided with for the first time. He looked just as he had the last time I had seen him. His hair had changed a bit, and his style had gotten even flashier...but the face was exactly the same. So were the eyes, which were currently looking at me in utter shock. I remained seated on the floor, looking him dead in the face for a while longer before I managed to utter his name.

"...Izzy?"

_Author's Note: Hey, guys! Remember the time when I actually worked on this story? Apparently, it's been almost a full year since my last update, so I wouldn't be surprised if most of you guys forgot about me by now! I know I almost did. I can't promise it won't be a long time until my next update, but hopefully not an entire year. It's actually kind of fun to be working on this one again. See you soon, I hope!_


	7. Chapter 7

I remained shell-shocked for just a minute longer, taking in the sight of my ex-bandmate. It was weird, really, how little he had changed over the course of a few years- but then again, maybe I didn't look so different to him, either. Before I could say so, Izzy cracked an all-too-familiar smile, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, well! Michelle Sandliey, it's been a while! Or should I call you Turtle now?" I bit my lip angrily, keeping quiet. Somehow he made my stage name sound so..._condescending_...

"Izzy, baby! There you are!" The sound of a woman's voice from the other end of the hall only darkened my mood. As Judy Nails approached and we made eye contact, her smile faded. She recognized me too, apparently. "Oh...Michelle, hello. I nodded in return, forcing a smile.

"I-I...I was wondering if I'd see you guys!" I said, though my voice sounded unbearably fake. "It's g-good to see you! Are Axel and Lars here, too?"

"Of course we are." Axel had arrived in the hall as well, and crossed his arms as he looked at me. "Michelle...you've gotten taller." Well, at least he had tried. Lars was last to arrive, flanking Izzy's other side and beaming when he saw me.

"It's the little one!" he roared, grinning with his sharp teeth. Had he _sharpened _them since I left? That was...actually pretty badass. "Michelle, how have you been doing? I have seen a show of your band on the television. You are still talented." I noticed Izzy give him a nervous look, but bit back any comments about it.

"Thanks, Lars," I replied, smiling gratefully. He was always honest, wasn't he? Good to see that hadn't changed. I stepped away carefully, waving both my hands just for good measure. "Well, anyway, I just came out here for some air. Crazy after-party and all, you know how it is. I'm just gonna-"

"Michelle, we all remember how you are with parties," Izzy interrupted, smirking. "You could come have dinner with us, instead. That's more your speed, right?" I'm not sure what it was, but I was suddenly infuriated. His tone, his words, that stupid, _stupid _expression...he was making fun of me with everything he said, wasn't he?

"More my _speed_?" I echoed darkly, my eyes narrowed so much that they almost hurt. Izzy shrugged, glancing from Judy back to me. The guitarist had crossed her arms, eying me suspiciously under her bright pink bangs. The confrontation was coming, we could all feel it. Luckily, before it could explode, I heard an even more familiar voice from behind me.

"Michelle, there you are. We were wondering where you were," Leo said, stepping up beside me. I looked up, surprised to see that for once, he didn't look as bleary as usual. On the contrary, his bright blue eyes were just a bit threatening as he looked over my old band. On my other side, Eddie had appeared, clamping a hand down a bit too tightly on my shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing, Sparks?" he asked Izzy, not even bothering to conceal his annoyance. Izzy smiled mischievously, and my heart sank. Just because my bandmates had arrived didn't mean I was out of trouble, apparently. I glanced behind me to see that Midori and Fuyuki had brought up the rear, though they looked less inclined to fight than Leo and Eddie did at the moment.

"Figures that _you're _here to the rescue," Izzy said, his smile fading as he spoke. "You know, Michelle doesn't need you to be possessive."

"She doesn't need _you _at all," Eddie snarled. I squirmed a little, trying to loosen Eddie's grip just a little. What I didn't need was them fighting over me, but I didn't really want to say so. Izzy reached forward, taking my wrist between two of his fingers without taking his eyes off of Eddie.

"If she wants to have dinner with us, who are you to stop her? She's an old friend, isn't she? Nothing wrong with-"

"I don't _want _to have dinner with you!"

I was surprised that the words had even left my mouth, but now that they were out there, all eyes were on me. Izzy's fingers slid away from mine, and I continued speaking.

"The last day I was in your band, you didn't even say a word to me! You were ashamed that I had fucked up my life, and you didn't want to acknowledge it. In my book, you are _not _an 'old friend' of mine. Lars and Axel, maybe, but not you. And not you, either," I said, looking over at Judy as I finished.  
"Well, I figured that much," she admitted, shrugging and looking away. I decided that if Izzy was going to say anything, I didn't want to hear it.

"Good. Let's go," I said, yanking my shoulder from Eddie's grasp and turning on my heel. Maybe I had just said something really petty, I couldn't really tell. But I was angry, and more than that- I was empowered. Walking away from my old band and my replacement, walking away with my new band...it felt awesome. I couldn't deny that.


	8. Chapter 8

The full force of what had happened hit me the moment we entered the hotel room again. My knees shaking, I fell back onto the bed, gazing disdainfully at the ceiling. Leo spoke first.

"Uh...we need food. I'm gonna hit that gas station up. Any of you want something?" he asked, a hint of awkwardness behind his gruff tone. Obviously, this didn't usually happen.

"I'm fine," I replied quietly. A soft hum of agreement came from the other three, and our bassist sighed irritably. As he grabbed his wallet and vanished out the door, Midori took a seat beside me, laying a hand on my knee.

"You know, it's not that bad," she said soothingly. "They won't do anything. They're rats, but they won't dare. I could kick that Judy bitch's ass, and we all know it."

"Mi-mi, you could kick Izzy's ass," Fuyuki teased gently, joining us cautiously. Eddie remained standing, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. As Midori leaned into her boyfriend's chest cheerfully, I rubbed my head, suddenly aware of a dull pain.

"I'll be fine, you know," I pointed out. "I'm just a little shocked. You guys can go back if you want."

"I was getting sick of it. Too many drunks," Fuyuki complained, sticking out his tongue. Midori suddenly shot up, though, looking at him eagerly.

"Oh, Fuyuki! We could go to the pool now, couldn't we?" she asked, unclasping her hair puffs and tossing them aside. She had been talking about swimming ever since she even noticed the pool, and I couldn't help but snicker a little as she hurried over to the suitcases and began rooting through. Fuyuki clapped a hand on my shoulder once more before joining his girlfriend and eventually following her away, swimsuit in hand. As the door closed with a snap, Eddie approached, taking his seat on the bed beside me and looking at me seriously.

"Why do you even care about this?" he asked harshly. I tilted my head a little, eyebrows furrowed as he went on. "Who cares if they're your old bandmates? They lost you, so they suck. Why do they matter?"

Now I couldn't help but smile, catching the hidden meaning in his words. I had swiftly learned that Eddie was less than forward about things, but I had brushed it off as part of his mysterious, brooding-musician type. I was pretty used to it, but at the moment, it felt pretty good.

"...Well, thank you," I said, smirking as innocently as I could as Eddie reclined, kicking his feet up on the opposite bed.

"You know what I always say, Michelle?" he asked abruptly, stretching his arms up above him. Preparing myself for one of his tangents, I fell back beside him, grinning.

"What do you always say, Eddie?" I replied. The singer rolled his eyes, but remained focused on the story.

"You never trust a new kid until they prove themselves," he said lowly. I had expected something a little deeper than that, personally, but I didn't mention it.

"So, you don't trust me."

"I never said that," Eddie interrupted, looking back over at me. "Back when I was new to this whole thing, I trusted Izzy. That was a mistake. I trusted Judy, too. You can see why I don't like you talking to them, right?"

"...Yeah," I said, eyes widening. My interest had been peaked, but I figured if he wanted to tell me, he would. Instead, I remained quiet, listening as he went on.

"You're a good kid, Michelle. I can see that. You're a bit out of it, and sometimes you don't play in tune, but you've got a good heart, and you're ambitious. I like that." I blushed a little, not used to compliments from my more distant bandmate, but crossed my arms over my chest in hopes of seeming tougher. "I just don't want to lose a good guitarist to a bunch of self-assured jackasses, that's all." I nodded, brushing a strand of hair out of my face as I sat up again.

"I won't leave you guys for Shell Plate. Never," I promised, helping Eddie sit up as well. "I won't leave at all, if I can help it. Only if it gets...dire." I tensed a little, remembering how dire it had gotten with Shell Plate, and Eddie frowned, gripping my hand.

"What happened?" he asked, his free hand clenching. I shook my head, turning away to hide the emotion that was starting to free itself.

"I know what you're thinking," I murmured, my own free hand running through my hair. "Izzy didn't do anything to me. None of them did. It's...it's what they didn't do." Noticing a coaxing, still-suspicious look from my bandmate, I shook my head again. "Another time." Finally, he nodded, releasing my hand but not our eye contact.

"Another time," he echoed, nodding firmly. I meant it, really. I _would _tell him, when the time was right. When I was more comfortable. Midori knew the whole story, but she had promised long ago to keep it quiet. Either way, things were changing. The bonds were changing. He hadn't told me if I was trusted yet, though. Maybe he expected me to know.

We remained there on the bed, just seated in comfortable silence, until Leo burst back into the room and found us there. He glanced across the scene, eyebrows raised, then held up a large plastic bag.

"Either of you hungry?" he asked, tossing it at the bed. Inside was a large assortment of snacks and drinks, instantly making my mouth water. Eddie groaned, however, rooting through it for a moment before turning back to Leo.

"I thought you said you were going to get _meals_," he complained, gesturing at it as I grabbed a chocolate bar from the stash. Leo shrugged again, taking a seat by the phone.

Speaking of the phone...I decided that it was way past time I called my mother.


	9. Chapter 9

We went to four more cities after that, though they honestly went by in a bit of a blur. I remember it being a lot of fun and very bright in all of them, and that Eddie and Leo managed to get drunk as anything each time, but after all the craziness had faded out, we found ourselves back at home and contemplating where we were even meant to go from there. Naturally, what's a band without a bit of disagreement on important things like that?

"Maybe we should take a break for a little while, focus on the next album," Fuyuki offered, though his timid voice was tinged with an obvious burning desire to show off his lyric-writing skills. At his side, Midori shook her head sharply, her eyes closed as she thought.

"No way, babe. What we need to focus on is shows," she insisted. Fuyuki rose an eyebrow, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"We just came back from a nation-wide tour, _remember_?" he asked, grinning a little. "We don't need to focus on shows. Why can't we just chill and make some songs together?" He glanced over at me hopefully, and I coughed nervously, not really sure what to make of this slowly building argument.

"Yeah, I'm with ya on that one," Eddie added from his side of the couch. "If we don't come out with new stuff, people are gonna get bored. I say we write some songs, get some lyrics on 'em, and blow off some steam. Got it? We can't just keep getting all our money off of no-name bar gigs."

"Hey. You and I both know we got our start at bar gigs, Eddie," Leo grumbled, shaking his hair out of his eyes for once. "Don't try to act like we're cooler than that now." Eddie narrowed his eyes, obviously put off by being disagreed with.  
"We _are _cooler than that, Leo," he insisted, shaking his head. The bassist moved to stand, ready to defend the honor of bar gigs everywhere, and I quickly placed a hand on his arm, shaking my head.

"I don't see why this is worth arguing about," I pointed out, standing up and looking at the other four. "I mean, we're a band, right? We can do different things here and there and still be a band. Fuyuki, Eddie, you guys can work on lyrics, and we can keep going to bar gigs every now and again." Fuyuki and Midori nodded compliantly, and Leo shrugged as he always did. It was Eddie who stood up as well, his eyes narrowed even further.

"Kid, I'm not so sure I want you bossing us around like that," he said darkly, crossing his arms over my chest. I frowned, turning to face him and squaring my shoulders just a bit.

"Sorry?" I asked, glaring up at him. Sensing the sudden deterioration in the mood, Midori stood up, holding up her hands as she approached us.

"Hold up, guys. Eddie, she wasn't-" she began, only to be interrupted.

"I'm just saying, you're the newest member of the band. I can't really say you..._belong _enough yet to start giving me and my band orders," Eddie said, his voice starting to have a snarling quality to it. Now Fuyuki stood as well, moving next to his girlfriend and glancing between the two of us. Leo had sat up straighter, remaining silent even with his eyes completely focused. Besides that, it was only between him and I. And when those words stung me, I felt myself go on the defensive instantly.

"Hate to say it, but _I'm _not so sure you can call this_ your _band," I argued, stepping up a little. "As far as I've heard, Midori got you all together. Am I right?"

"Michelle, please-"

"Midori, stay out of this," Eddie growled, moving closer as well. "Don't you talk to me that way, kid. It sure as hell is more of my band than _yours_." Leo coughed suddenly, standing up as well and inching towards the two of us.

"Guys, can you stop being such assholes to each other for a second and-"

"Shut _up_, Leo," I snapped, only succeeding at infuriating my frontman even more. Before I knew it, he had moved forward again, this time with clenched fists, and I had to step down a little this time. His eyes were practically flashing.

"Again with the orders? Don't talk to Leo that way, either! Nobody here has to take any sort of direction from a brat like you!" With that out of the way, the only sound was his loud breathing, and even that slowly quieted as he realized how silent everything was all of a sudden. I exhaled loudly and pushed by him, storming towards the kitchen now.

"Yeah, okay. Means a lot coming from the guy who tried to convince me that I was worth having around," I said irritably as I walked. "Remember that little incident in that hotel room?" I didn't exactly hang around for a reply, though. Once I had grabbed a can of iced tea from the fridge, I was up the stairs and in my room in a heartbeat.

With my thoughts rational and my heart rate normal again, I sighed, leaning back against my headboard. Had that argument really just happened? How petty was that? And storming up to my room with a sugary drink like I was in high school all over again? Shit, maybe I really _was _a brat. I gazed at the can in my hand, looking over the bright label on the front. I had long since discovered that my beloved raspberry drink wasn't indeed the best in the universe, but something brought me back to it every time I needed a pick-me-up. Nostalgia, maybe. There were a ton of memories associated with that twenty-four-ounce can, though, Sleepovers in junior high, picnics with my family, drinking it through straws at football games in high school...hell, even Shell Plate came to mind with it. I felt my lips turn upwards just a little as I thought of how much they all hated the stuff, but how Izzy would keep a constant supply in our run-down little headquarters for when I came over, just because I liked it...it really had been nice of him...

"Oh, dammit!" I groaned aloud, slamming the can on the side table and standing up. Of all the things to soften me up...! I was angry at my _current_ bandmate, and being calmed down by the thought of an ex-one wouldn't exactly help the 'I-belong-with-you-guys' image that I was trying to pull off.

I sighed again, picking up my guitar and laying it on my lap as I took a seat on the bed again. Maybe I had no idea what I was doing, after all. Maybe I just kind of sucked at being a decent bandmate to anyone. Or maybe I was just wallowing in self-pity again. Dammit.

I fell onto my side, gazing helplessly at my guitar on the bed beside me. All of a sudden, I was filled with the irresistible urge to sleep, and my eyes instantly began to drift closed. But not before I heard someone knock hesitantly on my door.

It could wait, I decided swiftly. It could wait.


	10. Chapter 10

I can't really explain what happened when I woke up that night. My early nap left me refreshed at three in the morning, meaning I couldn't exactly make a lot of noise or go out anywhere. But all of a sudden, in the darkness of my room, I felt myself being drawn to my guitar. A new melody was playing through my head, and I had this irresistible urge to translate it on my strings and see what came of it. As I flicked on the lamp and grabbed the guitar in question, I couldn't help but wonder if this was one of the 'states of musical creativity' Fuyuki would always speak friggin' verses about when we talked about new music. All of a sudden, the notes were coming out with a sort of sense to them, even if I didn't know what it was, and I knew for sure that I had to write them down. I grabbed the nearest sheet of paper and pen and quickly scribbled a few lines down, trying to write an impromptu tab the way I would back in high school. I've lost my touch for songwriting, it would seem, and I settled for crumpling it up and tossing it aside before returning to my guitar. If it mattered, I decided, I would remember it in the morning. Maybe I would play it for the others, and they could throw some lyrics over top of it and put it on the next album if they liked it enough. Maybe it would even be a hit, if I was that lucky.

Or maybe it would just be my very own, I thought sleepily as I leaned back on my pillow, the tempo of this new song starting to slow a little. Maybe it would be the memory of a sleep-addled jam session one night, and I wouldn't have to concern the world with it. It was nice to do that every now and again...

"Oh, damn. I hate to wake you up when you're being so cutesy, Turtle, but you've gotta get up. I need to talk to you."

The voice of my fellow guitarist was accompanied by a finger jabbing into my face a couple of times, and I stirred to find that I had evidently dozed off in the middle of my nighttime jam session, and that my guitar was still safe in my arms. I sat up slowly, amazed that I hadn't broken my guitar or sliced something open on a string while I was sleeping, but Midori quickly stopped me from musing for very long.

"There you go! We've got a show for next weekend, alright? Here's a set-list, so make sure you've got everything down and let us know if you need to practice anything specifically." As I looked at the sheet of paper with bleary eyes, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, resting her chin atop my head and looking along. "You don't look too excited."

"Nah, it's all good," I insisted, trying to smile up at her. "I didn't sleep too well last night, that's all. Where are we playing?"

"We'll be at Mitch's Moose Lounge. Sleazy, I know, but they had a slot open, and they _are _local," she explained, pulling away and focusing more on the list as I chuckled.

"What, a bar gig? I thought we were too good for that," I joked, smirking and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. Midori softened, shaking her head and placing a hand on my arm.

"You're not taking all that to heart, are you, Michelle?" she asked worriedly. "Don't do it, okay? Eddie's never going to admit it, but he _is _sorry about what happened last night. Trust me, he was sulking all night, and he even came up here to talk to you, but you were asleep or something." I frowned, remembering the light knocking from before, but remained silent as she went on. "He didn't mean anything by his little bitch-fit any more than you meant anything by yours. You weren't pissed," she added with a smirk, as my face reddened a little. "I've seen you pissed. That wasn't even close."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, crossing my arms. "You're right, it doesn't matter. We've both gotten some sleep since then, right?" Midori relaxed, smiling again and helping me to my feet.

"Excellent! Then we're a happy family once more!" she chirped, bounding forward to open the door. "Come down for breakfast soon, will you? But change your clothes first, you _stink_!" I suddenly became aware that I _was _in the same outfit from the day before, and I winced a little bit, hurrying to pull it off.

By the time I got to the kitchen, the rest of my band had already beaten me to the cereal. Eddie was the first to notice me in the doorway, and immediately looked off to the side, a little embarrassed.

"...'Morning," he said, surprisingly nervous. I grinned up at him, wiggling in between Midori and Leo to get my share of the Cheerios.

"'Morning!" I replied cheerfully over my shoulder. "So, Midori filled me in. We're back in business on Saturday, huh?"

"That's right," Leo piped up. "Glad _someone's_ excited around here."

"You're only excited because it's a strip club," Fuyuki remarked from his seat on the kitchen counter. Leo turned defensively, nearly dropping his bowl in the process.

"It's not a strip club, it's a live-entertainment bar!"

"I'll bet it is."

"_Very _live," Midori added, giggling as she went over to sit beside her boyfriend. Eddie took the opportunity to move in next to me and grab the box, fighting back a smile.

"Alright, alright. You all saw the set-list, so do any of you actually want to practice a certain song?" he asked, trying his best to be all-business. Somehow, the four of us ended up speaking in unison, all with a different request. "Naturally," Eddie groaned, though he was grinning with a weird air of confidence around him as he turned to us. "Eat fast, then. We've got work to do."


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: It's good to be back, lovelies. Heheh. I was actually playing Guitar Hero III for the first time in ages, so I got that burst of inspiration I needed to get back to Michelle and friends at long last. But that also means I have to give up the rights to the lyrics in this chapter, as per usual. These ones belong to Minus the Bear, and I take no credit for them. Enjoy!_

We hadn't been gone long, but it was already good to be back. The lights were bright, the scent of beer was heavy in the air, and nearly-topless girls danced all along the front of the stage as we played for a screaming audience. Yes, the life of a rocker. Nothing like it.

We had taken a few requests before the show had started, as was the tradition here at Mitch's. At the moment, I was playing an old Minus the Bear song, one of the few we all knew, and practically hopping around the stage in my excitement as Eddie sang along beside me.

"_And then we all bought yachts,_

_and raced them to the island,_

_moored them at the docks_

_leading up to our cabins."_

There was a nice, long guitar solo waiting for me at the end of this one, and the anticipation was practically coming out through my fingers and onto the guitar as we played on and the crowd got wilder. I grinned out at our audience, showing off a bit more just to get a bigger reaction, and suddenly found myself meeting eyes with a more than familiar face.

In retrospect, it was pretty amazing I hadn't noticed him before we were four songs into our set. I mean, you'd think the giant of a drummer for a famous band would warrant a bit more attention, and he wasn't exactly hard to miss in a crowd, but now that I had noticed him, I could hardly take my eyes off of him. And really, I did have to ask myself at that moment...what the hell was Lars doing at one of Kaiju's shows?

The cue for my solo was coming up fast, and I glanced over at my bandmates to find that they had noticed, too. There was nothing for it, though. He was enjoying himself, and we were enjoying ourselves, so it wasn't like there was any complaining. We'd just have to have a little talk when we were done rocking the 'live-entertainment bar,' as Leo had so affectionately called it. And we did, believe me.

As the show ended and the crowd went off to talk to the dancers or to get another round of drinks, I headed backstage with the others, the post-concert joy setting in as I returned to my case. I had barely taken the strap off of the back of my neck when a large shadow blocked out my light.

"An excellent show once again, little Michelle!" Lars announced loudly, clapping a hand on the top of my head. I grinned up at him, though I couldn't help but glance over at my bandmates, who were eying him suspiciously in turn.

"Thanks, Lars. What are you doing here?" I asked curiously, hoping to hint at them that I had things under control for the time being. Lars' smile faded, and he looked around quickly before returning his gaze to me.

"Actually, I am needing to have a private conversation with you, if your band is not minding. It is quite urgent," he explained. I glanced back at them again, and Midori quickly flashed me a thumbs-up, though her smile seemed a little forced as she looked up at Lars.

"Fine by us. Just remember, we've gotta leave soon," she warned. Lars nodded at her gratefully, then gestured at me to follow him back out to one of the tables near the bar.

"I am not supposed to be here," he began once we had taken a seat, barely paying attention to the weird looks we were getting from the people at the bar. "I decided that I had to be warning you, so I was telling the others that I was going to dinner." I raised an eyebrow, his serious tone catching me off-guard and sending pangs of dread into my stomach.

"What's wrong?" I asked urgently, leaning forward a little. "Warning me about what?"

"I was hearing Judy and Izzy having one of their secret conversations, and I believe they are having very elaborate schemes." I rolled my eyes now, though my attention didn't waver too much. Scheming sounded just like those two, if you ask me. "Izzy is wanting to find a way to be luring you back to our band, and Judy is wanting to be splitting your band up entirely." My eyes widened now, and my fists clenched on the table.

_...What?_

"That sounds oddly...movie-villain-like of them," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Are you sure?"

"I do not believe I was mishearing, if that is what you are asking," Lars replied irritably. "I just did not think it would be fair to be keeping something of such importance away from your ears." I nodded, trying to work the sudden tension out of my shoulders.

"R-right. Are you gonna get in trouble, then?" I asked, suddenly worried for the fame-related fate of my old drummer. Lars shook his head, chuckling lowly.

"What will they be doing to me? Have you been forgetting who I am?" he boasted. I laughed a little, standing up again and holding out a hand for a high-five.

"Heh. 'Course not. I should probably get back, then. Thanks for letting me know." Lars frowned, standing up as well.

"Will you be doing anything about this situation, Michelle?"

"Hm..." I wasn't sure, in all honesty. I wasn't too afraid of either of those two, but at the same time, I had no idea what was up their sleeves. One thing was for sure. The guys had to know about this, too.

When I returned backstage and shared the news, the reaction was more intense than I had even imagined. Fuyuki nearly dropped a drum in his surprise, Midori began saying undoubtedly angry things in Japanese, and Leo and Eddie both stepped forward, fists clenched.

"You remember where they live, right? I think we need to pay them a little visit," our frontman grumbled threateningly. Leo chuckled and cracked his knuckles, and I held up my hands in protest, the memories of bar fights returning in a wave. Lars' strength was more than obvious, and even Axel had quite a bit of muscle to him when he wanted to.

"W-wait, wait," I spoke up, looking pleadingly up at them. "We don't _have _to go beating them up."

"It'd be fun," Leo interjected. I grinned a little, willing to admit that much, then shook my head again. "We're a _band_. A kick-ass band! And they're a band, too. We can fight them without actually getting hurt, can't we?" Behind our two bandmates, Midori grinned proudly and stepped forward.

"You're talking about Vegas, aren't you? That's my girl," she said cheerfully, looking up at Eddie and Leo. "Whaddya say? Want to go to Vegas?"


	12. Chapter 12

And that's how the five of us ended up in Las Vegas. Fuyuki researched the battle of the bands event that I had been talking about pretty quickly, and discovered that sure enough, Shell Plate was already registered to perform. I knew well enough that Axel especially just ate up those types of competitions, and Izzy loved Las Vegas, as he would tell us so often, so it didn't surprise me in the slightest. Soon enough, we had all shelled out a bit of money, loaded up the van, and drove it across the country in just three days. Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, eh?

Apparently, I was the only one out of the five of us who had never been to Las Vegas, and the bright nightlife around our van earned me a bit of teasing.

"Wow, somebody's got the tourist look down," Midori said, sticking out her tongue from the chair next to me. I rolled my eyes, most of my focus out the windows at the neon lights and flashy clothes all around me.

"It's pretty amazing," I observed, grinning over at her. "What's the deal, anyway? I assume Eddie wants us to be all business?"  
"Do you have any idea where we're _staying_?" Eddie called back from the driver's seat, gesturing at the upcoming hotel. "I'm going to hit their restaurant before we do anything. You all can do what you want."

"I'm gonna join you," Leo announced from the seat behind us. Fuyuki sat up, slouching across the back of his chair to ruffle Midori's hair.

"They've got a sweet dance floor, from what I hear. How's that sound, babe?" His girlfriend beamed, obviously impressed by his insight, and I leaned back in my own chair again, looking back out the window as we pulled into the parking garage. Something told me it was going to be a good night.

But once our bags were in our room and the other four wandered off to dance or eat their fill, I found myself in the middle of my hallway, pocketing my hotel key and feeling a little lost. I was still trying to get accustomed to the whole dancing thing, and I had eaten on our last pit stop, so that ruled those two out, at least for now. But hey, maybe it was about time to see how my tolerance levels were working. Something told me I would need it while I was in Vegas.

The bar wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected, but the murmur of conversation was loud enough for me to have to shout my order to the bartender across the counter. With a wink and a promise of 'discounts for band members,' he set to work, leaving me to do a bit of people-watching. A few familiar faces were scattered around- in fact, I could swear I saw Casey Lynch downing a whole bottle of whiskey- but it seemed that I was going to be drinking alone, at least for the time being. When the glass was placed in front of me, I did my best to down it, fighting against my turning stomach. Maybe that was for the best. After all, I was headed on the quick road to embarrassment.

Surprisingly enough, a few drinks had me properly relaxed, and I leaned a little on the bar, holding out my glass for a refill with a lazy smile. As I downed my drink, eyes closed, I heard the bar-stool beside me shift, and opened one eye to find a familiar face. My eyes widened just a little, and I lowered my glass again, trying to narrow them again.

"You've gotten yourself a liking for that stuff, haven't ya?"

"I...I didn't know you were at this hotel, Izzy," I said, for lack of anything better. For whatever reason- something told me it was the freaking alcohol- I couldn't bring myself to be annoyed by the fact that he was here, all smiles and bright clothes. Izzy chuckled a little, turning away to order a drink before returning his attention to me.

"All the bands are at this hotel, kid," he replied, leaning forward under the low light and grinning. "It's gonna be a wild place for the next few nights, isn't it?" He picked up the glass now, raising it at me before downing the entire thing. I grinned, copying the action and flashing him a thumbs up.  
"Where's your guys, then?" I asked, my speech starting to get a little slurred. To my surprise, Izzy leaned forward, his breath strong against my ear. Something told me he had come to the bar already drunk, somehow.

"Not at the room, if that's what you're asking," he purred, a hand already tangled in my hair. I shivered excitedly, moving closer and letting his other hand reach my lower back. Tipsy as I was, there was a small, almost-silent voice in the back of my head, trying to send off warning bells. _Get it together, Michelle. This is your rival, Michelle. Don't go to his room, Michelle. _

But at the same time, there was something delightfully weird about being touched like this, something I hadn't felt since my college years. I didn't want to admit it, but it had taken him just a few minutes to have me wrapped around his finger, and I sure as hell didn't want him to think I had gotten easy over the years. Either way, that warning voice seemed to have wandered off, and it had taken my common sense with it. And next thing I knew, I was being led out of the bar under the arm of my ex-bandmate.

By the time the elevator even got to our stop, he had already gotten his tongue in my mouth and was doing his best to keep it there as we stumbled back to his room. Practically shoving me against the door in the process, he let us in and had me on my back in almost one motion, clambering up on top of me as I pulled back just to gasp for air before going in with renewed zeal.

_But_, that's about the time my memory lapsed. Yeah, turns out I was fooling myself with that higher-tolerance thing. Some things are never going to change, huh? Point is, I don't remember what happened between him taking off his shirt and Judy Nails screaming when she entered the room.

"You son of a _bitch_!" she practically roared, slinging her purse across the room. Izzy was off me again in an instant, holding up his hands in defense as a tube of lipstick, a toiletries bag and a chocolate bar went flying across the room within seconds of each other. Dazed, I sat on the mattress, the entire ordeal kind of fascinating. Judy was talking so fast that I could hardly make out what she was saying, besides 'washed-up man whore' and 'should have burned your damn leather pants', and Izzy was firing back with something about Johnny Napalm and a night in Boston. The realization of what was really happening finally hit me, and I looked down to find that I was still fully clothed. Relieved, I slung my legs off of the bed, ready to high-tail it out just in case Judy turned her wrath on me. Instead, she settled for throwing the ice bucket at her bandmate and then stormed back out of the room, leaving me to admire the damage. Always beware the angry woman.

"So...fill me in. What the hell happened?" I asked. Izzy took a seat beside me, laughing weakly as he looked around the room as well.

"In order? I brought you back here, made out with you, tried to get your shirt off, then Judy came in and went bat-shit insane on me, then she left."

"You didn't actually get my shirt off, right?"

"Ah, you're worried about _that_," Izzy realized now, chuckling. "No, your pants have been on lockdown."

"Good, then. Last thing I need to lose on this trip is my virginity," I grumbled, making to stand up again. Izzy laughed openly now, pulling me back down and kissing me all over again. The taste of alcohol was still strong on his mouth, but it wasn't nearly as good the second time around.

"Michelle, you'd be so much better off with us. You realize that, right?" he asked against my lips. My eyes widened now, Lars' words returning to my brain in a second. "Personally, you were a lot more fun than she is. So, here's your chance. Why don't you come back?" I pulled back, probably a bit too violently, and stood up again, trying not to fall on my face as I headed for the door.

"Lars told me everything, Izzy," I said, smiling wryly. "_Everything_. I'm not seventeen anymore, you prick."

The bar was ruled out as well, it would seem. Not to mention my head was starting to hurt. The night was officially a lost cause. I headed back to the elevator and then to my room, fumbling in my pocket for my hotel key as I went. A small sting of embarrassment was starting to poke at my chest a little, and I rolled my eyes, scanning my key at the door and pushing in. Just because of that _one_ kiss all those years ago...I had been a kid! Was that really all I amounted to for him? And why the hell did it matter?

"Oh, you're back."

I jumped, not expecting to hear another voice in the room. Eddie was seated on the bed, leaning against the pillows and eying me with a raised eyebrow.

"Hi," I replied, a little lost for words. My frontman picked up on it, too, and smirked, crossing his arms.

"Leo wanted to go get snacks again, so I just came back here. Where were you?"

I'm not really sure why I did what I did next. Maybe I was still a little drunk, or maybe I wanted to prove that I _had _grown up. But in that moment, I strode across the room, took a seat on the bed beside Eddie, and kissed him.

I was really getting around all of a sudden.

"You're drunk," Eddie observed once I pulled away, smiling nonetheless.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied earnestly.

"You idiot." And then he had pulled me back down, and for a moment I was totally and completely blissful. At least, until the door opened again. Leo has uncanny timing, let me tell you. It's sort of his thing.

"...I knew it," he said simply, tossing the grocery bag on the table and walking back out. In his wake, the two of us shared a confused look, only for Eddie to speak again.

"Did he ruin the mood, then?" I grinned, wrapping my arms around his waist and laying forward.

"No."


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: Well, hello there, readers. It seems I'm back again. I can't promise this means my hiatus is over, but here's a chapter, anyway. As usual, the lyrics aren't mine—these ones belong to Aerosmith._

By the time the sun had set the next day, we were already backstage, tuning instruments and hauling drums across the room. Midori and I were perched on a huge amp, testing our guitars against each other.

"I am _so _pumped," she announced, grinning. "Did you get a look at the crowd? There has to be thousands of people out there! It's a full house!" I beamed back at her, shouldering my guitar and moving to sneak a peek out at the stage. Sure enough, the crowd was enormous, and the familiar and welcome pre-show rush came over me as I headed back to my bandmates.

"Just to be sure, we _all _remember the order, right?" Eddie was asking, his eyes firmly on Leo. The bassist nodded, though the same foggy look had returned to his eyes as he focused on his bass.

"We're gonna be fine, Eddie," Midori assured him, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "We're always fine." Fuyuki nodded in agreement, and I flashed our frontman a thumbs-up when he looked over at me.

"Fine, then," he finally said, allowing himself a smile. "Let's go kick ass."

We crossed the stage to the roar of thousands of people, and I couldn't even bother concealing my smile. There was something about performing in Vegas that I hadn't felt before, and the crowd wasn't doing anything to slow down my growing ego. I stepped forward on the stage, looking at my bandmates as Eddie introduced us.

"Great to see you all tonight!" he yelled above the cheers. "We're Kaiju, and we're here to rock! Who's with us?!" That was Midori's cue to start up, and the rest of us were quick to join her.

"_Well, on a train, I met a dame,_

_She rather handsome, we kinda look the same_

_She was pretty, from New York City_

_I'm walkin' down that old fair lane_

_I'm in heat, I'm in love,_

_but I just couldn't tell her so!_" Eddie sang, gripping the microphone with a newly found enthusiasm. The crowd seemed to be thrilled by our first choice, and the uproar only grew as we continued on. Even with the heat of the spotlights bearing down on me, the energy of the crowd was filling me with a new fervor, and I found myself hopping around and swaying along with the music as if I wasn't the performer. It was so close to being the best performance of my entire life.

And then we finished our fourth song.

"You guys are great!" Eddie called out, smiling broadly out at the audience. "We've got more for ya right now! Next up-"

"Wait a second, Eddie!"

My eyes widened at the familiar voice, and I looked over to see Judy heading out from backstage. In her hand was the bright pink guitar I knew so well, and on her face was a self-assured smile I had also become acquainted with.

Her eyes were on me, and they were the eyes of a predator.

"Get off our stage," Midori complained loudly, her hands on her hips and her guitar hanging from its neck strap. Judy rolled her eyes and took the microphone, looking almost sweetly up at Eddie.

"You guys are doing well! The crowd's having a good time, right?" she began. Her question was answered with the whooping of the audience, and she giggled, her attention back on me. "But you know what would make this even more fun? A guitar battle! One on one, me versus Michelle! What do you guys say?" The cheers grew even louder, but I shook my head sharply. The suggestion was enough to make my blood boil.

"Our battle of the bands is next week, Judy. Get out of here," I said coldly.

"We're in the middle of our set!" Midori chimed in, furious. Judy simply looked between me and her guitar.

"Yeah? There's no rules saying we can't challenge each other before then. C'mon, the crowd's gonna love it!" I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to throw her into the crowd in question, and looked helplessly at my bandmates.

"Fine. Don't worry," I assured them, stepping forward and sending the audience into a frenzy once again. "I'll make this quick.

When I had taken my place across the stage from her, I felt myself shiver a little. The look in her eyes reminded me way too much of that night years ago at the Rat Cellar. I could even see her bandmates near the front of the stage, watching—the bandmates that had been mine when this had last happened.

_No_, I told myself as we started to play in time. _I was seventeen and stupid and I didn't know a damn thing about how these things worked. I've grown up. I've got this. I've-_

In the time it took me to assure myself, she had gotten close enough to swoop in and snap one of my strings. I felt my heart racing and moved back just as quickly, kicking her amp with all my strength. It swayed weakly, then crashed to the stage floor. Judy glared at me from under her thick bangs, moving in for my whammy bar again. When I heard it snap, I wanted to scream. She had pulled the exact same move the last time. And, once again, it was stuck within my strings, hard enough for me to have to stop playing and try and fix it.

She lashed forward again, and another string snapped. By then, I was shaking, and launched myself forward as well, breaking a string of hers in return. It turned out to be a futile effort. The song was over just as quickly as it had begun.

"Match goes to Judy Nails!" someone announced, their voice grainy. This time, my rival had nothing to say, and disappeared off the stage again, leaving me to look at my broken guitar and the smoldering amp in the corner. Why hadn't I brought a second guitar? Why didn't I _own _a second guitar to bring?!

"I can't play on this," I said weakly, holding the instrument out as my band approached. Leo closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, and Midori reached for my hand.

"It's okay," she murmured. "It's okay, baby." Eddie had headed back to the microphone, his voice shaking a little.

"Well, guys, it's been great seeing you all tonight!" he announced with feigned enthusiasm. "But it looks like we're gonna have to give it a rest for now, so we can clean all this up. Hope to see you all again for the rest of the competition!"

When we were all backstage, I felt my entire body heat up. I flung my case open and put the damaged guitar away, hiding it from sight. My fists clenched, and my head ached.

"I'll meet you guys back at the room," I snapped, storming out the way I had seen Shell Plate go. I heard them calling after me, worry and curiosity evident in their voices, but I didn't look back.

I couldn't let Judy get away with this. I couldn't let any of them get away with this.


	14. Chapter 14

I was lucky enough to remember the number of the room Izzy had brought me to. My eyes blazing, I pounded on the door, my mind racing with ideas of what to say. When Axel opened the door, he made it easy for me.

"Michelle...?"

"Where are they?" I snarled, glaring up at him. "They're in there, right? Let me through." Before the bassist could answer, I slipped under his arm and stormed into the room, where the rest of Shell Plate sat and lounged.

"Oh, it's you," Judy said coolly, looking up from her magazine.

"What the hell were you playing at?" I fumed, taking a step towards her. "Sabotaging my show?!"

"I wasn't sabotaging anything," she assured me, though her smug smile didn't help her case. "You wouldn't be so angry if you had won."

"You interrupted our set. You turned the attention off of the band—_my _band—so you could indulge your petty grudge." I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest. "Sounds a lot like you just have a score you wanted to settle, you irrelevant bitch!" Before I could continue, I felt a hand on my upper arm, and the next thing I knew, Izzy was leading me out of the room. "Get off of me-"

"No," he said, closing the door on his band and glaring down at me. "You need to calm down. I'm not about to let you storm into my hotel room and cause trouble with my girlfriend-"

"Your girlfriend?" I echoed, scoffing. "Surprised that's still the case. This isn't about you, Izzy."

"It's about my band." My former frontman shook his head. "She was right, Michelle. There's nothing stating she couldn't do that."

"Because nobody expected anybody to behave like that," I finished. "We have a battle next week. She should have saved it for then. _Obviously, _there's a bigger issue." Izzy grabbed me by the shoulders now, giving me a surprisingly rough shake.

"Obviously, there is! You're undermining her, whether you know it or not!" He closed his eyes and let me go now. "It's mostly Lars. He still...I don't know if 'caring' is something he does, but he wants you to be successful. He watches Kaiju on TV, and every now and again he'll talk about what things were like with you in the band. How do you think that makes Judy feel?" I stared at him, my jaw slack.

"And, what? You think that it's my fault? How would I control what _Lars _says about me?" I paused, my eyes widening as it occurred to me. "And what about _you_, Izzy? Was it so long ago that you forgot already? I'm pretty sure _you _were the one trying to bring me back!" The blonde's temper flared again, and he stepped forward, fists clenched.

"I want to bring you back because you belong here! When Shell Plate got its name, you were there to agree to it! You're one of us, deep down, and they're never going to change that!" He gestured down the hallway, as if my current bandmates were standing there. "We know where you're coming from, Michelle. We were there when your parents were splitting up and when you were confused about where you were going in life. We were there when your mom got attacked-"

This time, I shoved him. Hard. He reeled back, giving me the chance to fight back at last.

"You were there when my mom got attacked?" I echoed. Despite my fury, my voice sounded embarrassingly small, and I could feel tears behind my eyelids. "You weren't anywhere to be found! I had to pull myself away from you just so I could go home to her! You wanted me to perform! _Remember_?" I looked down now, trembling a little. "Don't give me that, Izzy. You weren't there. You didn't do anything." Izzy softened as well.

"I know that. I...I've wanted to apologize for that for years, Michelle. It wouldn't matter, I know. And that's not what this is about." He paused, heaving another sigh. "Your bandmates don't know anything about who you are."

"Maybe," I replied, taking a step away from him now. "But neither do you. Don't try to play a card you don't have." With that, I started down the hallway wordlessly, trying to carry myself as far away from that damn room as I could.

In the elevator, I closed my eyes, listening to the soft hum as it carried me to my floor. In a way, Izzy had been right. Axel and Lars had at least come to find me in the hospital, and all three of them had at least experienced that aspect of my life along with me. Even if they hadn't been reliable, they had been there. The same couldn't be said for the people I was with now.

When the elevator let me off, I wandered the hallways for a while longer, trying to clear my mind. Communication had always been my problem, and it was a pretty sizable aspect of why things hadn't worked out with Shell Plate.

_I have to tell them, _I realized. They were my band, and I was supposed to be able to trust them with my story. If I couldn't do that...well, I'd just wind up where I had started, saying goodbye and grabbing my guitar up to carry it away. I had to be their bandmate. I had to be part of Kaiju, for real this time.

Steeling myself, I headed back to the room, fumbling in my pocket for the key. When I let myself in, Midori immediately flung herself off of the bed and into my arms.

"Michelle! We were so worried about you!" she whimpered. "I thought for sure you were going to go fight her, and that you'd end up hurt and ditched in some alley...! But Eddie kept trying to tell me you wouldn't go that far."

"Where were you?" Fuyuki chimed in, eying me curiously. I looked across the room, taking in the sight of my four genuinely concerned bandmates. Somehow, it gave me the boost I needed.

"I need to talk to you all," I answered, taking a seat on the bed beside Eddie.

"We're listening," the singer said. I took a deep breath and leaned forward.

"You guys all know I have history with Shell Plate. I need to tell you just how far back it goes."


End file.
